By Whose Standards?

Not long ago, it was considered unusual for someone to step away from a teaching career. After years of preparation and training—investing in students and building friendships with colleagues—it seemed only natural to imagine those classroom years stretching across a lifetime. I certainly believed they would for me. When I began teaching twenty-five years ago, I hoped to follow in the footsteps of the veteran educators I met and admired—teachers three decades in and still loving the work.

Yet life has a way of broadening our perspective in ways we never quite expect. For me, that shift began once I had children of my own. As both a teacher and a parent, I found myself making new observations. Questions surfaced about what education really means and whether the goals and standards set before us were truly enough. Those questions stirred in me a desire to search for more.

During that time, after many hours of research, I found myself in the world of home education. What a journey it has been. I’m grateful to say that my teens, now at the finish line, value the path we chose and what it did for our family.

For more than a decade now, I have watched this same story unfold for many educators across the country—different districts, different communities, yet remarkably similar experiences. Teachers who once expected to spend their entire careers in the classroom slowly begin to reconsider.

And it is not just teachers. Parents from many backgrounds are noticing this shift as well, searching for ways to create richer educational experiences and fuller lives for their children and families. In a rapidly changing world, many are recognizing the value of more time together, time in nature, and a more thoughtful, comprehensive approach to learning.

What I have been witnessing is a growing desire for intentionality in education, and I have had the privilege of being part of that movement both in and out of the classroom. Education continues to be a great joy in my life, and that is why this space—Raising Our Standards—exists.

It grew out of years of conversation and of helping friends, former colleagues, and others who share these same questions and hopes. I have especially enjoyed guiding others in their search for a richer education—one that makes room for the good and Great books, deeper study of history and science, and learning that continues well beyond the school years.

If you find yourself relating to this, I hope you will take some time to settle in here. Explore the resources, consider ideas you may not have encountered before, and join the ongoing discussion about what education can become when we begin to raise our standards.